Be the first to find out what Michael is up to next! Whether it is his appearances at book shows or speaking engagements, a new blog post, or author updates on new projects, you will be the first to know! Sign up for his monthly email here:
Fleeing Wheel, Alexandria is saved by the handsome, tempestuous Prince Tal. Irresistibly drawn
to each other, now they just need to stay alive...
- The Feathered Quill Finalist (2019)
- Readers Favorite 5-Star (2019)
WITH DREAMS, THERE CAN ALSO BE NIGHTMARES
Lonely and plain-featured, Mona Parker is just another faceless teenager at Spring Hill High School when she angers a beautiful and arrogant classmate. Bullied relentlessly and with nowhere to turn, Mona’s colorless life turns into a hellish existence. Mona considers suicide until one night, Thaddeus Finkle, her guardian angel, appears and offers her a way out: swap lives with another.
Mona takes the angel up on his offer. She awakes on Meredith, a parallel world of Earth where magic has replaced technology. Mona discovers she is Alexandria, a woman of stunning beauty, and the daughter of a Duke complete with servants and riches. Her wildest dreams have come true. Then she discovers the price of her bargain. Trapped behind the Veil, an impenetrable curtain of magic, the Duchy of Wheel is the last major province still unconquered by the cruel sorceress, Marlinda, the creator of the enchanted barrier. And Marlinda has special plans for Alexandria.
Tal, the hotheaded, impulsive Prince and Heir of the Empire of Meredith, has been banished to a remote garrison for his reckless behavior. There he happens upon a group of raiders—one whose leader possesses the means for opening a way through the Veil.
Alexandria and Tal’s paths will cross…but in ways neither could ever have imagined.
The Open Portal is packed full of action from the time it begins, and flies off the pages
The Book Review
I wholeheartedly recommend this one to fans of high fantasy. You will want to get in on the ground floor of this new series!
Reading By Moonlight
The Open Portal is a fantastic, intriguing, and adventurous beginning to the Conquest of the Veil series!
NerdNarration
A solid foundation for an action-packed fantasy series. While only an introductory novel, The Open Portal, feels like it already has decades-worth of history behind it.
The Page Unbound
When I finished The Open Portal all I wanted was to read more. I feel like Clifton has cleverly crafted such an extraordinary world and is building up to something truly spectacular. I can't wait to see where Clifton takes this story next!
Book Fidelity
The characters are treated with much care by Clifton and is a great set up for the next book!
MissusGonzo
I admired Clifton’s descriptions of each character and the different settings. I was truly transported
#Bookish
I am a sucker for a good fantasy and The Open Portal did not disappoint. The author has a huge imagination, and I recommend this book to readers of high fantasy
The Page Unbound
The Open Portal is aptly named for its grand use of fantasy, adventure, and dizzying effect of imagery. I was continuously impressed by the details and wild imagination, and I’m definitely recommending this one to fantasy lovers
Recipe and a Read
A bang-up first installment to set up the series!
- Readers Favorite 5-Star Review (2020)
Alexandria Duvalier’s new life on the magical world of Meredith is shattered by her forced betrothal to the cruel lord, Rodric Regret. She flees Wheel, but is soon pursued by Rodric’s brutal brother, Stefan. Chased across a wild, unforgiving land, her path crosses with Prince Tal, the hotheaded heir to the throne. He saves her life, but now both are hunted by Stefan.
Despite the constant danger, they are drawn to one another by the greatest magic of all—love.
Now they just need to stay alive…
Abookanight
"A breathtaking adventure!"
Intent on defeating the Dark Queen and destroying the Veil, Prince Tal, and Alexandria arrive at Markingham to discover a city on the verge of collapse, its people starving, and children vanishing without a trace. Hopes of launching attacks from the city againstthe Dark Queen evaporate. To make matters worse, the tiny breach in the Veil allows only a trickle of soldiers and supplies to pass through.
Before the city’s defenses can be restored, the Baleful, a vast army composed of melded humans and animals led bya giant centaur,sweepsacross the land like locusts, leaving nothing behind.
In the midst of turmoil and conflict, the love between Tal and Alex reaches white-hot intensity. But the leader of a renegade militia group wants Tal for herself and will do anything to get him...even strike a bargain with a child-killing witch for a potion to make her irresistible.But every witch’s brew comes with a price.
The Empire of Meredith has waged war against the Veil Queen for over a thousand years. However, the struggle is unequal. Protected by the Veil, an impenetrable boundary of magic, the Veil Queen preys on the Empire’s citizens. The ceaseless raids have allowed her to build an enormous army of melds, monstrous creatures who are a fusion of humans and beasts.
Then a way is found through the magical partition. An invasion is launched to defeat the Dark Queen. But she’s had centuries to plot treachery. Is the open portal real or a misdirection, another of her evil schemes?
Alexandria’s new husband, Prince Tal, has wielded his formidable magic repeatedly in the struggle. But the key to victory may not lie with his power, but with Alex’s wild and unpredictable magic. If she can discover a way to control it, they have a chance to end the war and destroy the Veil. It requires only two things.
Find the Veil Queen…and kill her.